1. Field of the Invention
The within invention relates to undergarment briefs, and, more particularly, to a two piece, combination athletic brief and cup supporter, and additionally relates to a method of producing such a garment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, in any sports contact related competition, male participants wear jockstraps, with or without a protective cup for testicular protection. Such jockstrap garments consist of a waistband, a generally triangularly-shaped piece of material secured along its top portion to the waistband, serving to form a pouch for cradling the male's penis and testicles, and a pair of straps which are connected to the bottom end of the pouch to the side of the waistband oppositely disposed to the pouch attachment to the waistband. The pouch usually consists of a pocket with closure snaps along the uppermost portion thereof designed for the purpose of receiving a rigid, protective cup designed to cover the male's penis and testicles, thereby protecting the male's private parts from damage due to hard blows. In order to fit snugly against the body of the wearer, the garment is constructed of an elastic material. Such garments are commonly referred to as "jockstraps".
However, such conventional jockstraps have traditionally had numerous problems.
One such typical, frequently-encountered problem is that the elastic straps of such jockstraps instead of remaining flat against the buttocks of the wearer, have a tendency to roll inwardly to the innermost edge of the buttocks, causing testicular irritation and uncomfortable, irritating and annoying blockage to the anus, a very sensitive area of the human body.
Another problem resident in the use of such conventionally constructed jockstraps is the fact that due to the more-than-normal body movements encountered in sports activities, and the garment's stress concentrations created by a combination of the extreme body movements encountered in typical sports' activities, the jockstrap design and the mode of construction of garments, the elastic material is quickly overstressed and exceeds the yield point of the elastic material. Once the yield point of the material is exceeded, the elastic material will not return to its former unstretched condition. Consequently, the jockstrap will no longer hug the contour of the buttocks and/or the penis and testicles of the wearer. When this occurs, the protection afforded by the jockstrap is severely reduced due to the lack of conformity to the body's contours. For example, as a result of such looseness created by a loss of the fabric's elasticity, the protective cup in the pouch may be shifted from one side to another at times uncovering the male's private parts. If the area of the male's private parts should be typically encountered in strenuous sports' activities, the protective cup will no longer function as a protective device, it now becomes a dangerous instrumentality which, if hit, will cause injury to the male privates.
Another problem presented in the use of such traditional, prior art jockstraps is that of sanitation. The design of such a skimpy garment a discussed previously tends to congregate and bunch-up in intimate contact with the outlet of the anal cavity. Since the entrance to, and the area immediately surrounding the anus is typically not totally free from fecal matter, and other excretory fluids, the straps tend to absorb such materials which are highly acidic and/or laden with bacteria. The absorption of such materials into the straps poses a serious sanitation problem, as well as causing rapid deterioration of the elastic fabric forming such straps.
The snap closures used in the typical jockstrap creates problems of irritation and sanitation as well. Such snaps pose bacteria/germicical/sanitation problems in that such fasteners offer a plurality of receptacles in which such bacteria, germs, and other undesirable materials which create sanitation problems can, and do, reside. Such receptacles create a problem, perhaps not well recognized, to the user in the spread of disease and are odor causing because of their ability to house and contain such undesirable materials.
Further, the previously used and employed jockstraps are constructed of elastic material, typically including a substantial amount of cotton cloth. Elasticized cotton has a relatively short, useful life as compared to Spandex/Lycra and Nylon stretch materials.
Another problem with the prior art jockstraps is that they are relatively uncomfortable to wear after the sports' activities on a normal basis when not engaging in sports' activities.
An additionally undesirable feature of the prior art jockstraps is that they are visually unsightly.
Further, prior art jockstraps offer no support whatsoever to the buttocks of the user.
For these, as well as other, perhaps equally evident, disadvantages, the present invention was created.